Bound To My Husband

Chapter14

LOGAN

"Talk to me, buddy. How is the treatment going?" I asked, pulling my chair closer to his bedside.

He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head, his face tight with exhaustion. "There is no cure, Logan. You should try and accept that." He reached out, taking my hands in his.

My heart absolutely dropped at his words.

"What do you mean? I thought you said you were getting better." I swallowed hard, searching his eyes for any sign that he was just messing with me, but there was nothing but grim reality.

"I lied, Logan. I didn't want you to worry." He gently squeezed my hands, his voice dropping to a painful whisper. "The doctor told me yesterday that I only have two months to live. Pancreatic cancer is no joke. You have no idea the kind of pain I'm in right now."

"What am I supposed to do now?" I shook my head, my mind spinning as the panic set in. "I have no parents, no family. I am completely alone in this world. Please don't do this to me."

I met Mr. Hayes, Allison's father, when I was still drowning, trying to figure out how to run the company while grieving my own parents.

He had stepped right into that void, becoming my best friend and the father figure I desperately needed.

"You are not alone, Logan. You have Allison, don't forget that." He paused, his expression turning sharp with concern. "Have you solved the crisis with Selena yet?"

I shook my head, bitterness coating my tongue. "No. She is asking for too much."

"How much? Just pay her off so you can live a normal life again."

"The greedy b***h is demanding seventy percent of the shares in my company. That's almost everything I’ve ever worked for."

He groaned, deep frustration lining his forehead. "The wedding must happen before I die. I need to know my daughter is in safe hands. I want to personally hand her over to you."

I pulled my hands away and covered my face, the pressure suffocating me. Why did my life have to be this complicated? "It can't happen right now and you know why." i took a deep breath before I continued. "To keep her from getting suspicious, I decided it’s best if we date for at least a month. It buys me time to sort this mess out before she finds out the whole truth."

He reached over, gently rubbing my shoulder. "This is getting messy."

"You have no idea, and I'm exhausted. I feel like a monster lying to Allison." I pinched the bridge of my nose, forcing myself to take another deep breath. "At least if we date for a month and she finds out, she can easily walk away. It’ll be much harder if we're already married."

"Then merge the company," he suggested.

Right at that second, the door clicked open and Allison walked back in. My entire body froze. I wondered how long she'd been standing there, and exactly how much she had heard.

"I got tired of waiting outside. What are you two plotting?" She sat down right next to her father, looking completely innocent.

"We were just discussing merging the companies," Mr. Hayes lied smoothly, adjusting his tone. "That way, you two can work side by side."

"Really?" Her face lit up, and she turned her bright eyes toward me. "Which means I’ll be seeing you tomorrow at the office?"

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to shake off the tension. "You seem pretty eager to see me at work," I teased, trying to match her energy.

"I am not!" she protested, though she quickly looked down to hide her flushed cheeks.

Cute.

"I'm just excited about the new project I'm working on," she added quickly, trying to sound professional. "At least we can brainstorm together to make it a success."

I managed a smile, but my chest felt incredibly heavy. The devastating news about Mr. Hayes kept looping in my mind. How was she going to survive losing him?

"Daddy, I really can't wait for you to come home. You're missing out on so much," she murmured affectionately.

A wave of guilt washed over me. How was I ever going to tell her that her father wasn't coming home? That he only had two months left? Was I some kind of curse? Everyone who ever mattered to me seemed to leave.

Would Allison end up leaving me too? I mentally slammed the brakes on that thought. If she ever left, I’d be done for. Wherever she went, that's where I belonged.

"Logan," she called out, snapping her fingers in front of my face to break my trance. "Tell your best friend here to hurry up and get well. Maybe he’ll actually listen to you."

Mr. Hayes chuckled, a weak but genuine sound. "Come on, Allison. Don't tell me you're missing me already when you have Logan right here looking at you."

I smiled, watching her closely

.

"He is not my father," she muttered, turning redder.

"But you called me Daddy last night. Or were you just playing with my feelings?" A mischievous grin finally broke through my dark mood as I watched her turn completely pale.

"Fascinating," Mr. Hayes laughed. He reached out, grabbing her hand, and then reached for mine.

"No, Dad, that's a total lie!" she squeaked, trying to defend herself.

"Are you calling me a liar now?" I asked, enjoying her panic.

"Can you please stop, Mr. Carter?" She placed a hand over her forehead, completely flustered.

"Yes, ma'am," I chuckled.

Teasing her and watching her blush was easily the best part of my day.

Mr. Hayes took our hands and joined them together. I held on tight. Her skin was incredibly soft, but slightly cold.

"Logan, I am handing my whole world over to you," her father said, his voice thick with emotion. "Do not ever hurt her. You two are bound to each other forever."